Elucidation of the accelerated sulfur vulcanization of bio oil-extended natural rubber compounds

The elucidation of the role of bio-oils on the accelerated sulfur vulcanization of natural rubber (NR) compounds is discussed in this study. Two types of bio-oil, palm oil and soybean oil, were studied in direct comparison with a distillate aromatic extract oil (DAE) as a reference. The scorch and cure times of the bio-oil-extended NR compounds were shorter than those containing DAE. The use of bio-oils gave a higher cure reaction rate constant along with a lower activation energy than the use of DAE. The attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that the fatty acid segment of the bio-oils can react with zinc oxide to give zinc carboxylate, which is then involved in and promotes the vulcanization reaction. The use of bio-oils to increase the rate of vulcanization strongly influenced the crosslink density of the obtained NR vulcanizates, yielding NR vulcanizates with a lower crosslinking density. It is proposed here that the bio-oils might consume the curing agent via the reaction between their own unsaturated fatty acid and sulfur. This was supported by the increased viscosity of the oils after exposure to sulfur at a high temperature. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the bio-oil-extended NR compounds were lower and higher, respectively, than the NR extended with DAE oil due to the lower crosslink density of the bio oil-extended NR vulcanizates.     

Biochemical properties and cyclodextrin production profiles of isoforms of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase

Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) catalyzes the conversion of starch to cyclodextrin (CD), an important host molecule for the study of host?Cguest interactions. CGTase from Paenibacillus sp. RB01 and its recombinant form showed the same isoform pattern. The three isoforms, two major (isoforms I and II) and one minor (isoform III), all had a different net charge but the same molecular mass. The aim of this work was to characterize the three isoforms, and especially to compare their CD production profiles. Isoforms I and II were separated on a FPLC Mono Q column and showed the same optimum pH (pH 5 for dextrinizing and pH 6?C7 for cyclization activity) and optimum temperature (65?C70 °C for both activities). However, the two isoforms differed in their catalytic efficiency of the coupling reaction with variable concentrations of the ??-CD donor in the presence of a fixed amount of cellobiose acceptor, with k_cat/K_m values of 3.46 × 10^?3 and 2.20 × 10^?3 mM^?1 min^?1, for isoforms I and II, respectively. Both isoforms I and II were found to have ??-CGTase activity and gave a similar CD6:CD7:CD8 product ratio of 0.2:1.0:0.6, with an increase in the ratio of the small-ring to the large-ring CDs from 1.0:0.5 to 1.0:0.3 from a 6 to 24 h reaction time. However, in terms of maximal CD yields, the two isoforms differed in their optimal reaction temperature and time required, the optimal conditions being at 40 °C for 6 h for isoform I and at 60 °C for 24 h for isoform II.     

Use of capillary electrophoresis for the determination of vitamins of the B group in pharmaceutical preparations

The separation of four water-soluble vitamins, i.e., thiamine, riboflavine, pyridoxine and nicotinamide, was investigated by capillary zone electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography. The usefulness of the internal standard technique in order to improve the precision of peak area when either the migration time or the injection volume varied was demonstrated. Quantitative analyses of different pharmaceutical formulations were compared with the LC method of the US Pharmacopeia. A good correlation was obtained.